The mayor hasn't focused yet on what, if anything, can be done about gun control in Albany. As Ken Lovett noted, the mayor's attention to gun control at the national level has effectively given cover to the State Senate Republicans, who the mayor supports financially, and who haven't done anything to toughen gun laws at the New York level.

Governor Andrew Cuomo may turn out to be even more important in this regard.

"There is no politician I admire more. But it is counter-productive to have him as the spokesperson for the gun-law movement. There has to be more respect and more people, frankly, from rural America and red America who are participants in this."—David Brooks

Recommended

"[I]t is extremely difficult to justify the presence of high-volume-of-fire, military-style weaponry in modern society." [New York Post]

The New York State Senate Republican Campaign Committee received $80,000 from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, located three miles from the Sandy Hook elementary school. [Larry McShane]

New York State "education officials expect scores to nosedive." [Susan Edelman]

Events

"Governor Andrew M. Cuomo is in Albany."

9:15 a.m. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy hosts a Superstorm Sandy Small Business Relief Forum, at Baldwin Public LIbrary, at 2385 Grand Avenue, in Bladwin, Long Island.

10 a.m. The City Council's Committee on Contracts has a hearing about changing the city charter related to opportunities for women and minority-owned businesses, on the 14th floor of 250 Broadway, in Manhattan.

Noon. The City Council's Committee on Consumer Affairs has a hearing on a bill requiring all gas stations post signs "displaying the total selling price" for gas and diesel fuel, on the 14th floor of 250 Broadway, in Manhattan.

12:30 p.m. Bloomberg has a Q&A after making a gun violence announcement at City Hall. It'll stream live here.

1 p.m. The Council's Committee on Environmental Protection has a hearing on the creation of "a sustainable energy systems web portal," on the 16th floor of 250 Broadway, in Manhattan.

6 p.m. Assemblywoman Vanessa Gibson, Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez and Councilman Andy King host a fund-raiser for Assemblyman-elect Luis Sepulveda, at The Lexington Social, at 1634 Lexington Avenue, in East Harlem, Manhattan.

6:30 p.m. Council candidate Ede Fox has a fund-raiser Katra, 217 Bowery Street, in the Lower East Side, in Manhattan.

7:30 p.m. The New York Young Republicans Club, Inc. has a fund-raiser at The Volstead, 125 East 54t Street, in Manhattan.

Newtown

President Obama at a prayer vigil in Newton: "We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change." [Video]

"After each of three other mass killings during his tenure, Mr. Obama has renewed calls for legislation without exerting much political capital, but the definitive language on Sunday may make it harder for him not to act this time." [Mark Landler and Peter Baker]

Closing the gun-show loophole was on of the Justice Department's earlier recommendations, which were shelved "as the election campaign heated up." [Charlie Savage]

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Obama's top priority now has to be gun control. [AP]

Bloomberg: "if [Obama] does nothing during his second term, something like 48,000 Americans will be killed with illegal guns." [Erin Durkin]

Obama should be able to do something, since he's never going to face voters again. [Daily News]

Senator Chuck Schumer said Obama didn't shy away from talking about guns during the campaign. "Face the Nation" host Bob Schieffer said he can't recall that. [Face the Nation]

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand: "We should be able to agree that no American should have access to the high-capacity ammunition clips made for our military." [Daily News]

"Obama has basically said or done nothing about the gun industry in this country across his first term, or showed much backbone standing up to the National Rifle Association or its lobbyists." [Mike Lupica]

Fred Dicker's losers list: New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, and New York State Minority Leader John Sampson. Fred Dicker's winner's list: Governor Andrew Cuomo, IDC leader Jeff Klein, and M.T.A. Chairman Joe Lhota. [New York Post]

Washington

House Speaker John Boehner has "breath[ed] new life" into the fiscal cliff talks by offering to extend the debt ceiling for over a year. [Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane]